Cauliflower cake? Yes! In this cauliflower banana bundt cake, the flavour of the cauliflower fades away, but it adds bulk and moisture. It's topped with a cinnamon icing that compliments the banana perfectly!
Cauliflower
Excuse me kale, budge up a bit, will you? Cauliflower is taking its place on the front row now. All glamorous, with its leaves hiding a goodness-riddled, brain-shaped (shhhh, whisper it:) superfood, like a burlesque dancer hidden behind her big raunchy feathers.
Home from my local farmer's market, I unfurled my knobbly white pearl and obviously my first thoughts were: 1950s-style bundt cake! Who wouldn't associate the two?
Cauliflower goes surprisingly well with a number of sweet-associated flavours: almond, chocolate(!), nutmeg... so putting it into a cake isn't a completely wild idea. As ever, the vegetable taste melts into the background and it gives nutrients, structure and moistness (seriously, will someone please come up with a suitable synonym for moist).
The humble cauliflower has been used as a pizza base, as rice and loads of other creative dishes in recent years. But forget about making it a carb substitute. It's time for cauliflower to get naughty. It's time for it to go into cake.
I like the word bundt. Bundt. BUNDT. It sounds like it should be said whilst playing tennis. Have you ever found yourself curious about the history of the bundt pan? No, me neither.
Here comes the recipe, but first some other Veggie Desserts news:
1. I'm a finalist in the Soil Association BOOM Awards - highlighting the best organic heroes. I'm sooo excited for the awards ceremony next week!
2. I'm also a finalist in the Britmums BIBS awards! With all of these nods, I feel very special indeed 🙂 . The awards ceremony for this one is on a boat. Having previously lived on a boat for six years, anything nautical excites me. Ahoy.
3. It's SIX WEEKS until my cookbook is released out into the big wide world. This time last year I was baking up a storm in my kitchen with mounds of vegetable cakes piling up on my table during huge testing sessions. Now, it's all becoming very, very real. Pre-order Veggie Desserts + Cakes (affiliate link) from Amazon now and I'll love you forever.
Cauliflower Cake
There's more to cauliflower than meets the eye. The supermarkets often trim off their lovely greens, but buy from a greengrocer or farmer's market and you usually get lovely big green leaves.
Choose organic so the leaves aren't sprayed with nasties and use those greens in another dish. I use mine in Cauliflower Leaf Miso Soba Soup, Cauliflower Leaf and Sweet Potato Curry and more. Add the greens to a hot salad, stir fry or stew! You could even rub them with a little oil, salt and herbs, then roast them like kale chips.
The outer leaves have a mildly nutty flavour (like the florets) and you can cook them just like any other green. Chop up the thicker parts so they cook evenly. If you can't use them up right away, chop the greens and put them in a jar in the freezer along with other vegetable peelings (again, organic is best here) and when you have more time, make stock.
Think organic costs more? I definitely think that it evens out if you make a point of using all edible parts of the plant. For cauliflower, that means using more than just the florets, but also the leaves and stalk. It's strange that we buy kale or spinach, but discard cauliflower leaves. I urge you to use them up next time. Every time.
Looking for more desserts with cauliflower? Try these!
Or a savoury dish?
Get the recipe for Cauliflower Banana Bundt Cake with Cinnamon Icing
If you make this recipe, please tag it with #veggiedesserts on Instagram or other social media. I love seeing your recreations of my recipes!
📖 Recipe
Cauliflower Banana Bundt Cake with Cinnamon Icing
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g/7 oz - about ½ a head) cauliflower
- 2 very ripe bananas mashed (about 1 cup)
- 3 cups (300g) plain, all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarb of soda)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cup (175g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (175ml) buttermilk (or full-fat milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar)
For the icing
- 1 ½ cups (180g) powdered icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons double cream (heavy cream)
- warm water to thin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Grease a bundt pan well with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- Steam or simmer the cauliflower for a few minutes until soft, drain well, allow to cool slightly and puree (easiest with a handheld stick blender). Stir in the mashed bananas and combine. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger together in a bowl.
- In a stand mixer, or with an electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat in each one for a minute or so. Add the vanilla and beat.
- By hand, or with the mixer on low, gently stir in ⅓ of the flour mixture. Add the buttermilk and combine. Stir in another ⅓ of flour mixture, add the banana/cauliflower mixture, stir, then add the remaining flour and combine.
- Pour into the prepared pan and then rap the pan on the counter to remove bubbles and level the surface. Bake for 60 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. If the cake is getting too dark before it is cooked, cover with foil.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then gently turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
For the cinnamon icing
- Sift the icing sugar and cinnamon into the double cream and whisk until smooth, adding enough warm water to thin to desired consistency. Drizzle over the completely cooled bundt cake and serve.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Angel
I have made this recipe a few times and love it. I make it gluten free with my own flour blend and make the buttermilk with soya milk and apple cider vinegar, plus instead of the different spices I use my pumpkin spice blend. I also now make them as muffins without the icing which makes them a handier treat / lunch box filler.
Thank you for the recipe.
loulou
i am so INSPIRED. I'm a mum with a fussy hubby & toddler and have an organic healthfreak very special sister who has a birthday coming up...... you've solved 2 problems for me 🙂 veggies into fussy boys and a veggie birthday cake! yippeeee... tossing up between your spinach cake & this one.... xx
Anna Johnston
WoW! Well, I never would have gone there with a cauliflower cake but love that you have, AND a Bunt cake at that, or is that a Bunt cake tin shape...., it sounds super delish and well worth a go. Lovin' your ideas about using up the leaves too.
I've been using Cauliflower so much more in recent years but thinking you've brought things to a whole new level here. Congrats on being recognized with the awards too.
Kat
Hi, I can't eat bananas due to an intolerance. What should I use to swap them? Applesauce seems too moist, maybe flax eggs (can't have real ones either) or aquafaba?
Kate Hackworthy
Hi, I'd probably try with flax eggs. Let me know how you get on!
Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner?
This is definitely a cake I would try. I made chocolate cauliflower cupcakes last year and they were delicious, so I'm thinking this cake would be equally as good!
grabaplate
Holy guacamole! What a great recipe! Love the creativity and, well, who knew?! Can't wait to give it a go!
peter
Beautiful cake and so moist.
thecleangourmet
You have some truly genius recipes.
Kate Hackworthy
Gosh, thank you very much!
Patricia Shea
Loving the concept of using cauliflower in a cake - it's one of my fave veggies! Can't wait to bake this and get the old eye roll from my Beau when I tell him, after the fact as Andrea did, that it has said vegetable in - thanks!!
Courtney @ Neighborfood
Haha...your commentary cracks me up! We most definitely need a new synonym for moist. I say we make one up. And bundt is totally what you do when you hit a tennis ball right?
Kate Hackworthy
I hate hate hate that word. Let's see what alternative we can come up with. And try and watch Wimbledon without thinking 'bundt' 'bundt' 'bundt' 🙂
susanna
can i substitute with cacao powder? http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/navitas-naturals-organic-cacao-powder-8-oz-powder/n7-1008?sourceType=sc&source=FG&adGroup=40-60&keyword=N7-1008&cm_mmc=Google+Shopping-_-Product+Listing+Ads-_-40-60-_-N7-1008&gclid=CJ31g4C1uL0CFRFnOgodWFMAWQ&gclsrc=aw.ds#.UzcWTlzt-1A like that?
or should i add more sugar, since its in its natural form its not sweet
susanna
i meant to post it on the beet nuttela post oops
Kate Hackworthy
Hi Susanna, I've not used cacao before, but in the beet nutella I suppose just use the cacao how you normally would. I probably wouldn't add more sugar at first as normally cocoa powder isn't that sweet, but it's easy to just whizz some more sugar in at the end if you feel it needs it with the cacao. Let me know how you get on!
Aunt Bee
You are so creative. I look so forward to your posts!
Kate Hackworthy
Aw, thanks Bee! Very kind.
Summer
This looks delicious - what a clever way to use cauliflower!
Andrea
I have fallen completely in love with cauliflower and all of the things you can make with it. I am so excited to make this cake!
Kate Veggie Desserts
Hi Andrea, I'm getting rather cauliflower-obsessed myself. I hope you enjoy the cake! 🙂
Andrea
Made the cake yesterday and it was delicious. I didn't tell my husband until after he tried it. He loved it as well. ♥
Kate Veggie Desserts
I'm so glad that you both enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
afracooking
I was already blown away to discover that you can make rice and mash with cauliflower - but cake?! Wow!
Kate Veggie Desserts
Cauliflower is proving to be so versatile these days, after years of being relegated to cauliflower cheese. I love it as rice and as a pizza base, but I haven't tried it as mash yet. Thanks for commenting 🙂